Ask Lemmy

Somehow “Okay” has become the command to ask my dog to get off my lap so I can stand up. I’m not sure how it started or why.

I can yell Cheese Wrapper at the dog park, and mine will come running.

Not really a command but I accidentally taught my dog to play fight me whenever I get home, because I did it when he was a puppy. So now it's like Kato and Clouseau every time. Even when I'm super tired.

The beep one of my monitors makes at power off (at the end of my workday) catalyzes my three cats into immediate action. They could be passed out or hidden, and ignore me when I walk by (I've tested this), but the moment they hear that "beep-chime" they materialize.

They know it means I'm available for cuddles and snacks. Confuses the hell out of them on the occasional weekend when I take a Zoom call for one of my volunteer gigs. I'll also use it to summon them when one vanishes for too long and I need to make sure they didn't get out.

Kinda somehow trained my dogs to expertly remove socks from feet.. Started as a puppy with an interest in toe biting, decided to try to mould it into something positive. Lots of "OWW"s later, she will delicately nibble the tip of your sock to seperate a bit of fabric from the toe, then grab on, and tug straight backwards (you gotta point your toe to help her out) and voila! Sock removed.

Thought it was dumb but 7 years later, my pregnant wife thinks it's the fucking bees knees

One of my cats will headbutt me if I say "headbutt", he's like a pokemon or something. Hard enough that I can hear a thunk.

My dog now knows she is "the dog". Any time we say the word, she starts listening.

She picks things up that I never imagined a dog could understand.

I have one cat that gets several meds that I mix in baby food. I also have two other cats that need to be distracted from the cat getting the delicious (hurk) chicken baby food. So i toss treats across the kitchen to get them far away. I started saying “READY?” right before I would start tossing treats. So now as soon as I say ready, they “go long” and run to the far side of the kitchen to wait for their treat toss.

My doggo will normally follow verbal commands for sit/down/shake without much issue. But sometimes he gets too excited or obstinate and doesn't want to do it even if I've said so a few times. At some point, I inadvertently taught him that me putting my hand(s) on my hip(s) is the "Ok, we're not moving on until you listen" gesture.

I make him sit before he eats, and if he isn't sitting, I'll just put my hand on my hip and he immediately plants his ass against the floor, tail wagging. He also knows the question, "Are you begging?" if he's too close to someone eating, and he'll put his head down and slowly skulk away for 5 minutes before sneakily returning to his previous position, hoping for scraps. 😆

Accidentally got them to equate turning odd headphones, click sound it makes, with time to go outside

With my last dog, I would reward him with extra treats when the cat was also in the kitchen. The cat figured out he got treats whenever the dog and I were in the kitchen and now just joins me in the kitchen (on his stool) whenever I go there.

My new pup is supposed to sit before getting a treat. So as soon as the seal of the treat bag crinkles, his butt is planted to the ground.

I think it's delightful. My wife insists that we're supposed to link sitting with the vocal sit command. (I want him to be friendly and well-behaved. She wants him to take orders.)

I can make my husky howl by saying "space camp."

Not quite a command, but I seem to have confused my oldest cat so that he thinks "excuse me" is a threat. He'll be blocking a doorway, and if I say "excuse me" as I try to pass, he hisses and possibly swats, but if I just silently try to squeeze past, we're all good. Currently working to undo that one.

Holding empty hands out and saying "no more" so they stop looking for treats.

Also, "this is people cheese; not doggie cheese"

And then the same for the cat, who likes cheese.

My wife and I get up at different times so we each have our own alarms. She gets up first and feeds the cats.

When my alarm goes off? No reaction.

When her alarm goes off? OMFG...

My dogs have learned if they sit up and beg and spin I can't fucking resist it and will give them a treat. The little fuckers taught me a trick.

Other way round actually, I mentioned this I another comment about my neighbour's geese

I pass them every day when I'm walking the dog and always give them dandelion leaves; it's basically goose-crack. They go nuts when they see me, and will even let me pat their heads

My wife mentioned one day that when she's walking the dog, if she passes the geese they go nuts and run up to the fence, honking like mad and it freaks her out.

Took us a few tries to figure out the geese think the dog is bringing the human with the dandelion leaves